The heavy buzz of the sliding metal door echoed down the corridor as Blade was ushered into the prison cafeteria.
It was lunch hour at the facility, and the place was alive with low murmurs from other inmates, the clatter of trays, and the smell of overcooked stew and something vaguely sour.
That was his life now..
Blade walked in still with that his usual swagger, cuffs off now but there were guards still watching from a distance.
He grabbed a tray, barely looking at the food as he moved through the line his sharp eyes scanning the tables.
The moment he stepped into the seating area, the noise seemed to dip just slightly—not enough to draw attention from the guards, but enough for a seasoned man like him to feel the shift in atmosphere.
He picked a spot at a corner table, back to th
